Why I Am More Worried Than Ever That BATMAN V SUPERMAN Will Disappoint.

My Article on why I feel that Warner Brothers is once again setting us all up for disappointment with Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice.

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By CPBuff22 - 7/28/2014

After reading the multiple posts and articles all over the interwebs stating that "DC Won Comic-Con" and "Batman V Superman just beat Avengers" in response to the footage shown at Comic-Con that had also since leaked to the internet, I felt that I should openly express my level of concern that Warner Brothers is once again setting us all up for disappointment.

In that opening statement you will notice that I mentioned Warner Brothers disappointing us not DC Comics. The reason being is I don't blame any of the disappointing DC films on DC Comics nor do I want them to fail. Though I do read more mainstream Marvel Comics than I do DC, I very much enjoy reading DC characters such as Nightwing, Green Lantern, & Green Arrow. I also have enjoyed DC Comic television series such as the 1990's Series Lois & Clark and The Flash as well as the much more recent Arrow. I feel that Batman Begins & Watchmen are both top five comic book films of all time and most important to this article my favorite stories from DC have been Knightfall & Dark Knight Returns. So for anyone who feels the need to reply to this article by name calling and saying I am a Marvel fan only, that has already been covered.

For those who were not fortunate enough to be at Comic-Con nor fortunate enough to locate the footage online before it was taken down let me briefly describe it to you. We see the Bat signal turn on and in the shadows there stands Batman dressed in a robotic suit (think Ironman Mark I) much like the one he wears in the comic book Dark Knight Returns. They eyes glow on the suit and then we pan up to see Superman hovering. Then Superman's eyes glow red as if he is about to use his heat vision. It seems to be a standoff then cut to the logo.

After this computer rendered unfinished footage aired the internet blew up. People were excited. The problem is this excitment has turned into fans assuring themselves and others that this footage means that Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice is going to be "the greatest Comic Book movie of all time". And this is where I start to worry.

Expectations are extremely high for this movie and Warner Brothers have a lot to live up to. Historically they haven't done a very good job of doing that. Of the last five films WB has given us based on the DC Universe we have only had two films that lived up to expectations. Batman Begins & Dark Knight were both movies that lived up to and exceeded expectations. Unfortunately Green Lantern, Dark Knight Rises, & Man of Steel all managed to fail to meet expectations of many of the fan base. History isn't on WB's side.

Now lets talk about why this footage worries me. The mechanized Batsuit we seen is very much like the one Batman wore in Dark Knight Returns. As I mentioned before Dark Knight Returns is one of my favorite series.

For those of you who might not have read Dark Knight Returns it is based in a time where Batman is 55yo and comes out of retirement. He creates an army and uses it to make Gotham City the safest city in the United States. The US Government is embarrassed by this and sends Superman to stop Batman. Due to their years of being team members Batman is ready for this fight and has a mechanized suit that runs on Kryptonite ready to use against Superman. The battle between Batman & Superman ends with Batman killing Superman with Green Arrows Kryptonite arrow. Batman then suffers a heart attack and dies. It is an ending to be expected of the biggest fight in the history of comics.

My worries stem from the fact that every one assumes that Dark Knight Returns is what they will be basing Batman V Superman off of. I just don't buy it. I can't fathom how we have a heated battle between Batman & Superman where they try to kill each other that somehow leads to a follow up film where they become good buddies in the Justice League. If this is going to be based on Dark Knight Returns then they need to beat each other to a point that there is no coming back from it. Anything less will be disappointing. The problem with that is they can't with out somehow sweeping it under the rug when they follow this movie up with Justice League.

Now let me ask, how many people would have been okay if the first Marvel team movie was based on Marvel's Civil War and then the next movie in the series was the actual formation of the Avengers. You got Captain America & Iron Man beating the daylights out of each other over a difference in opinion on a law being pushed forward by the United States government forcing superheros to register, only to follow that up with them teaming up with SHIELD & becoming partners in the following movie. I ask this because it is the same thing Warner Brothers is doing with Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice.

A Dark Knight Returns based movie is a fantastic idea and I would love to see it. But I would love to see it after we have a couple Justice League movies. Show us Batman & Superman working together and forming a bond. Make us care about their friendship. Then and only then, tear it apart. Have them beat each other to a pulp and don't let anyone win. If you don't want to kill them off then just end it in a stalemate some how.

And that brings me to my last huge worry. If you let Batman win you will disappoint all the Superman fans and if you let Superman win you will disappoint all the Batman fans. The only way to end the movie is for them to beat each other so thoroughly that neither one wins. And if that happens there is no circumstance where I can believe that they will be teammates in the very next film.

What I honestly expect Warner Brothers to deliver is a watered down slap fight between Batman & Superman where other heroes like Aquaman, Wonder Woman, & Cyborg break things up in an attempt to convince them to work together. Is that really what we want to see from a Batman vs Superman movie that has been promised to us since 2002? I think comic book fans deserve better and I think DC fans deserve much better.

There is a reason this short CGI footage blew up the internet while Avengers, Guardians of the Galaxy, & Ant-Man were less talked about. It is because DC Fans are passionate and are desperate for something to point to and say "That is how awesome my favorite comic book characters are". Marvel fans currently have that & it's been a long six years since any DC fan (while being completely honest) can say that one of their favorites was given a treatment on the big screen that they deserve.

I hope I am wrong in this and that what is delivered on film is a very true to the comics rendition of Dark Knight Returns. But I am extremely skeptical that Warner Brothers is capable of giving the DC Fans a movie that awesome. And if this movie is the disappointment I expect it to be I will be sure to point back to this article each and every time I voice my opinion about how Warner Brothers has once again failed us.

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You're right, you're wrong your hopes came true, they can fight, they don't have to be lovers for JL look at many incarnations of JL Bruce does not trust them and even scolds clark at all times and is not a "full" member this can be played up in JL with Batman having to finally put his ego and pride aside and help/ be helped by Superman.

@MightyZeus I remember people saying The Avengers would disappoint and that Guardians of the Galaxy would be the first Marvel flop. The difference here is I seem to be the only one who thinks this movie won't be the greatest thing to ever happen. And if the disappointment comes across in the box office then it could lead to canceling future DC Films. Something everyone can agree would be a bad thing.

No one expects it to be based on TDKR, this would be drastically differant film if they were basing it off TDKR. What they are doing is: using the most iconic Superman v Batman fight as inspiration and using the aesthetic used in that fight.

@gamecreatorjj I have read replies to articles as well as articles in themselves that are applauding the fact that the movie will be based off The Dark Knight Returns. I would assume the reason people think it is based of The Dark Knight Returns is because of the choice of costume they gave Batman, in specific the BatArmor.

"If this is going to be based on Dark Knight Returns then they need to beat each other to a point that there is no coming back from it. Anything less will be disappointing. The problem with that is they can't with out somehow sweeping it under the rug when they follow this movie up with Justice League."

The only thing they're taking STRAIGHT out of TDKR is Batman's costume and probably the line Batman has after beating Superman. The story won't be the same, Batman probably won't build an army, if the teaser footage tells us anything the setting of the fight isn't the same, and they can easily become friends after the fight.

Why would they NEED to have Batman and Superman kill each other if it's based off of the Dark Knight Returns? Is it called the Dark Knight Returns? No. Is Batman the age he is in The Dark Knight Returns? No. Is it a direct adaption of The Dark Knight Returns? No. So they don't need to do anything. Even if this was a TDKR movie, they still wouldn't have to have either of them die.

Like @DCGuy said them not being friends could be an interesting dynamic to have at the beginning of the film and the two might have to team up at the end of BvS which in turn makes them friends.

Have you read the leaked script? You should read it because even though it has its flaws the moments following the Superman/Batman fight are great and are some of the best parts of the film. It's hard to explain how they make up, but they do.

"What I honestly expect Warner Brothers to deliver is a watered down slap fight between Batman & Superman where other heroes like Aquaman, Wonder Woman, & Cyborg break things up in an attempt to convince them to work together. Is that really what we want to see from a Batman vs Superman movie that has been promised to us since 2002?"

Why would you expect that? Because Wonder Woman is IN the movie. Because Aquaman is RUMORED and that rumor came from the script we know is fake, and Cyborg is in it too. What about this movie makes you think that 3 heroes (one not even being confirmed for the movie, one probably not even BECOMING the hero until the end or Justice League) would get in to the middle of that fight. There's NOTHING you can base that off of and you just seem butt hurt because you didn't like Man of Steel.

"There is a reason this short CGI footage blew up the internet while Avengers, Guardians of the Galaxy, & Ant-Man were less talked about. It is because DC Fans are passionate and are desperate for something to point to and say "That is how awesome my favorite comic book characters are". Marvel fans currently have that & it's been a long six years since any DC fan (while being completely honest) can say that one of their favorites was given a treatment on the big screen that they deserve."

The reason this blew up the internet was because DC & Marvel fans and non comic book fans all have wanted to see this for a long time. People have wanted this since the serials (1940s) and we're getting 70 something years later. THAT's why ti was big. We're getting Superman and Batman on the same screen for the first time EVER in a live-action format on the big screen and they're going to fight!!! That's why it was buzzing. It also was more successful because the footage was leaked and people saw it.

And Marvel news didn't because they didn't have any reveals at all. Yeah the people in Hall H got to see something, but no one else. Concept art, a Hulkbuster fist that isn't life size, a torn up Mark 1 Ultron, and concept art that shows us barely anything of the one member we haven't seen yet. If they let their footage leak out (get some random person to film and put it online without telling anyone Marvel got them too) so that some people could see it, the buzz would be SO much bigger.

I loved Man of Steel, I thought The Dark Knight Rises was great (it just wasn't as good as TDK or BB so it seemed worse than it really is), and Green Lantern DID suck. But that means its been a good 13 months since I saw a DC film I thought the character deserved.

"The battle between Batman & Superman ends with Batman killing Superman with Green Arrows Kryptonite arrow. Batman then suffers a heart attack and dies. It is an ending to be expected of the biggest fight in the history of comics."

Are you sure you read the Dark knight returns? Batman doesn't kill Superman, he beats him to a pulp. The entire point is to humiliate Clark, he wants Clark to remember him as the man who beat him. To remind him in all those years to come, to stay away and not to interfere in Bruce's activities. Also at no point is it mentioned that his suit was powered by kryptonite.

I'm not going to assure you the movie will be good. No one knows for sure until it comes out.But the worrying is a bit much. All the things your're talking about, the filmmakers themselves discuss every day. They will try to make the most satisfying film they can.

Don't get too hung up on a fight to the death.This will be obe of those things where they work out their differences before learning to work together. You mention Civil War before Avengers, but don't forget Iron Man and Thor actually DID fight in the early part of that.film.I suspect BvS to be along those lines- just on a much larger scale. The fight.won't be everything, and there will NOT be a winner.These things are always a draw.

Damn! You don't really have to worry...Mr Cpbuff22 I'm pretty sure you'll be one of the crazy fantasic screaming when you EVENTUALLY watch the movie you MORON!!!

How can you even begin to judge an entire film based on a teaser trailer and Green Lantern. Man of Steel wasn't a perfect film but it was far from terrible.At least watch the film when it is release then say what you want....Thoughtless!!

They have never said they're doing it page by page from the comic. You have a huge alien threat on the planet, Superman, who sure is a hero, but not to everyone. People like Batman are extremely cautious and will go to extreme lengths to stop the threat. So I don't see how it's illogical for them two to want to fight eachother?

Then we know an eventual common threat (Luther or someone) will more than likely force them to stop the fighting and team up against that threat. Leading to JL.

Sounds like a pretty realistic way to go about the story. Then you can have the bonding and friendship that comes after that.

Worst case scenario for this film (as with all of Zack Synder's films) is incredible visuals. Even if the story, dialogue, etc fails at least we will get the best looking superhero film of all time! At the very least I want to see Batman and Superman coming alive for the first time on the big screen and I know Synder can deliver on that front.

A) A desperate studio trying to come back and capitalize on an already promised franchise since Harry Potter ended and keeping up with other major movie studios with big blockbusters of superheroes

B) Ben Affleck, a man who has written Good Will Hunting (Won Best Screenplay) and directed Argo (Won Best Picture) will be Batman, who is starring in a movie that is incredibly daring and risking his own reputation to be a superhero once again instead of improving his already outstanding reputation with Hollywood

C) A new writer, who has joined on BvS who was praised for writing Argo and is now writing one of the biggest and hardest scripts to crack to which Ben Affleck helped write Argo with

D) Zack Snyder regardless of who feels about Man of Steel, is a huge DC Comics fan hoping for what many comic fans want which is a DC universe, his direction and style are worthy of that alone.

There is many reasons on why this won't disappoint, could it? Absolutely. So far though, nothing looks like this movie could be on that level. It doesn't look like another Green Lantern, it doesn't look like another Batman & Robin, and nor does it look like another TASM2.

We know nothing of this movie, except for the obvious, Batman & Superman will fight.

"In that opening statement you will notice that I mentioned Warner Brothers disappointing us not DC Comics. The reason being is I don't blame any of the disappointing DC films on DC Comics nor do I want them to fail. Though I do read more mainstream Marvel Comics than I do DC, I very much enjoy reading DC characters such as Nightwing, Green Lantern, & Green Arrow. I also have enjoyed DC Comic television series such as the 1990's Series Lois & Clark and The Flash as well as the much more recent Arrow. I feel that Batman Begins & Watchmen are both top five comic book films of all time and most important to this article my favorite stories from DC have been Knightfall & Dark Knight Returns. So for anyone who feels the need to reply to this article by name calling and saying I am a Marvel fan only, that has already been covered."

I mean seriously why? Do we need a resume, and I mean an entire paragraph devoted to what you like to justify reason? What for? You can justify reason without adding personal reflection on who you like, which is why everybody here feels you are just a Marvel fan trying to bash DC movies. What is the need of this paragraph? What does this mean that goes on with the rest of this article? Does it have anything to do with why Batman vs. Superman will disappoint?

Possibly my biggest pet peeve with editorials is when someone decides to write a whole paragraph devoted to what their personal feelings are on the current comic book medium. It not only shows me you have no balls, but you are much worried about showing who you are before giving us your straight out opinion rather then giving us a detailed reasoning for why this might disappoint. I mean no facts, no statistics, no anything, all of it is just straight opinion that before we talk about the opinion, just straight up gives us a resume of what you like.

Ummm....just so we're clear....the MINORITY opinion is to dislike Dark Knight Rises and Man of Steel. Both of them did great among fans. They have vocal haters, but both of those movies did very well among audiences. Dont kid yourself bud.

Also this movie isn't an adaptation from DKR, its drawing inspiration. Snyder has said this, Snyder has said it is NOT a flat out versus movie, and when asked who would win a fight "I love Batman and all, hes awesome, but seriously?"

all from the director himself. I dont want a DKR fight. His suit wasn't kryptonite powered, and Superman didn't get killed. This article is a joke. Snyder will deliver an awesome movie.

No need to worry.For the people who hated Snyder's last movie, BvS can't possibly be as poor, right? It'll be better than MOS cuz it can't be worse.And for the people who liked MOS, they'll obviously like BvS no matter what.It's a win-win.. Kind of.

There is a reason this short CGI footage blew up the internet while Avengers, Guardians of the Galaxy, & Ant-Man were less talked about. It is because DC Fans are passionate and are desperate for something to point to and say "That is how awesome my favorite comic book characters are".

I tend to disagree with this. I have kept my mouth shut about who won what because it's just nonsense, but here is how I see it. Last year, WB blew up Hall H with a couple of simple lines. Those lines were from a book that changed comics, and for those of us who read it while it was still on the shelf, it was purely jaw-dropping. We had never really seen anything like that before. This year they ramped it up, and gave us a hint of one of the greatest batman scenes to be put to paper. It showcased his determination, his guile, his sense of strategy, and the fact that even a modern god would not stand in the way of his mission. Superman was thought of as unbeatable, even by Superman. Bruce was there to show him, and us, that he needed to check his hubris. Again, those of us that read it before the changes to Batman that came after it, we gasped, open-mouthed in disbelief at what was happening on the page. WB showing that clip, in all of Snyder's muted color, took us right back to that.

WB has a brilliant marketing plan. They are building, just like those four issues did back in the early 80's, to a crescendo. Now, will that work if said crescendo happens 60 minutes into the film? That is hard to say. I tend to believe as you, that there is a strong possibility that it will not. I hold out hope, though. As does that young teenager inside me, that this footage brought out so prominently.

there was a leaked script recently, kinda revision thing, and i read it and with the footage shown, there really is some excitement to it. and it all makes sense.

There is a very BIG reason why Superman has to fight Batmaan and vice versa (and it is JUSTIFIED). The comic Dark Knight Returns is simply a pattern that they could use but that's all. The story, the take on the characters are completely fresh if not new. There will be changes for sure but I think we are all in for a surprise.

Now about expectations...if you have raised your hopes too high, of course you will get disappointed no matter how good the film turns out to be. I suggest go by the wait-and-see thing. In the meantime there are a lot of movies and comic books coming up...enjoy!

Man of Steel was solid, but not stellar. However as a foundational movie for a bigger franchise that’s enough.

What we do know is a lot has changed at WB since Man of Steel. The new CEO Kevin Tsujihara as of March last year has lit a fire under the DC properties. DC’s Diane Nelson reports, for the first time, directly to the CEO.

One man’s dark and gloomy is another man’s gritty and realistic.

While the first promo images aren’t comic book primary colour vibrant, it would be foolish to even begin to judge the new film on the basis of these.

We know Supeman’s revised costume is brighter than MOS - it’s clear that Wonder Woman’s image was filtered muting the colours, and Batman is actually in comic book grey for the first time on film since Adam West. How they look in the finished film is far from settled.

As far as the actors chosen for the roles, we can’t judge Oscar winning Actor Ben Affleck or relative unknown Gal Gadot until we see them in action, and even then a bad script/concept can’t be rescued by a good actor, remember George Clooney in Batman and Robin?

The script however for Batman v Superman is been credited to Chris Terrio oscar winning writer of Argo, it’s been suggested he will write the Justice League. This is a change, and suggests a change in direction from the Goyer penned MOS.

However Henry Cavill was great as Superman in Man of Steel, both as an actor, and physically he not only fills the suit, but he really looks like Curt Swan’s definitive Superman.

As fans we want the movie to be great, we want the actors to shine. Hence until proven otherwise we expect the best outcome, because moping and complaining helps no one.The actors are chosen, that door is closed. So now we have our team, we’re a 100% behind them.

If the reaction from SDCC is anything to go by then the excitement of having the three DC big IP’s together on screen for the first time bodes well.

I don't think anyone REALLY believes this will be a direct adaptation, especially considering Snyder has explicitly stated it won't be an adaptation, just have some influence... I expect it to be a quick confrontation, with Superman having the upper hand.

"There is a reason this short CGI footage blew up the internet while Avengers, Guardians of the Galaxy, & Ant-Man were less talked about. It is because DC Fans are passionate and are desperate for something to point to and say "That is how awesome my favorite comic book characters are".

Unlike Marvel fans...who are not passionate at all with everything Marvel does, acting like if it was a cult and untill not so long ago, claimed that "Marvel is winning" and "Marvel wins at CC"...or do you suffer from selective memory????

And i don´t even like the "DC wins CC" dumb comments...but don´t come with this false humility acting like you guys are always noble and calm.. saying that everything from DC gets magnified because we DC fans are the ones who are passionate and desperated